American basketball star Brittney Griner is due back in a Russian court Thursday to resume a trial that was jolted last week when she abruptly pleaded guilty...
This story has been updated since it was originally published.
Last week, Griner pleaded guilty. She acknowledged to the court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said the presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing. She was expected to testify on Thursday in the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, where the airport is located, but did not.
Griner is one of the United States’ most prominent female athletes, a standout for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy in the seriousness of their cases could make unpalatable to Washington. Others have suggested that Griner could be traded along with Whelan, who is serving 16 years in Russia on an espionage conviction that the U.S. has described as a setup.
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